Come, Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Heart On Fire – Revival Fire
My heart and prayer for all of my Christian life is that God would bring a revival fire to Spokane and the world and ignite and transform people! That they wouldn’t live less then what they were created to live. I have been on staff at various churches in Washington State and all of them my heart burned for God to move on the hearts of the people to awaken them and put a fire in their bellies. I have traveled to Africa, Panama, Germany, Finland, Holland, Sweden, Canada, England, Amsterdam (Netherlands), and all over the United States with this message. Why would I do that? Because God has so transformed me and my life I just have to tell others so they can experience His love, grace, and mercy for themselves. It is a life-changer!!! It is also the great commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel too all!
I remember receiving the baptism of the holy Spirit at an early age. That experience was life changing too. I was empowered with Holy Spirit’s power and anointing to see and move in God’s Spirit everywhere I went. It was like when I got saved I was given a spoon to dig up dirt. Then when I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit I was given a big shovel to dig up dirt. All of the sudden I was given insight and knowledge that I didn’t have before. I was given tools and powerful weapons against the enemy. I was infused with God’s power to fight off the enemy and to take the land for God’s Kingdom.
We all need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
John the Baptist stated that He baptized in water unto repentance but there was someone mightier then he was coming who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Matthew 3:11 – 12 NKJV
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Unquenchable fire!
Our God is a consuming fire. He hates sin and any residue of it left behind will pollute a godly harvest. During the seasons of harvest, when fruits of intimacy with God has been produced from the inner workings of revival, one aspect of God’s fiery expression is sent forth to purge the staff still left among the gathered threshed grain. This spiritual purging cleanses the ungodly residues that frequently cling to the grain harvest and could defile the value of the final product.
The work of the Holy Spirit in your lives is often compared to the numerous grain harvest described in the Bible. Revival awakens the heart to intimacy with God, which in turn produces fruit of many types. During the mid to latter stages of this awakening happening in a person, group, or thing, God begins to construct the threshing floor.
The laborers, who worked on these threshing floors, threshed the grain and generally used a six-pronged wooden fork-like shovel to scoop up the crushed grain and toss it to the evening winds, removing the outer translucent husks—this is one type of chaff. There are two types of chaff associated with grain harvests. The second type is the stalks, dried leftover roots and broken stubble, which are either fed to the livestock or, most frequently, burned. God requires those who have been revived to produce a pure harvest, one unspotted by the dead works of the flesh.
Imagine for a moment a forest full of beautiful trees that is suddenly devastated by a large wild fire. The statuesque trees are instantly transformed to mere piles of smoldering ash. You can no longer see any resemblance of a forest. All that remains is a desolate place covered in ash. Now this sounds terrible, but in the Spiritual this is an amazing thing.
The fire of revival is a consuming force. As the flames spread, fear, sin, lust, pride, rebellion, and many other bondages are destroyed. Where there was once a large stronghold, there now is freedom. You can no longer see any form of that bondage because it has been overtaken by God’s holy fire. His fire is transformative and full of delivering power. In a moment, the fire of God takes you from just hearing about a move of God into experiencing that move. This fire also releases a deep passion on the inside of your spirit man. As you are in the presence of revival fire, you are stirred in the deepest part of your being.
You cannot choose between the Spirit and the fire. They are inseparable, one and the same. There are not two baptisms, one “in the Spirit” and the other “in fire.” There is one baptism only in the Spirit and fire.
Acts 2:1 – 4 NKJV
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
When the Holy Spirt came on the Day of Pentecost, He arrived with tongues of fire. One hundred and twenty men and women were divinely empowered and supernaturally endued. Heaven’s power invaded the earth, and those one hundred and twenty then shook their whole world. Today, we have got plenty of fanfare, but very little fire; plenty of formulas, but very little flames. We are high on utterance, but low on unction. Where is the holy heat of His presence? What has happened to the “mighty baptism from on high?” How many have been immersed—soaked, saturated, dunked, and virtually drowned—in His enabling power and might? Where is the overwhelming flood tide of His waves in our nation today?
The promise of the Father as Jesus described it, arrived on Pentecost to waiting, seeking, and united souls. It was an outpouring of fire. God is a consuming fire. The result or fruits of this outpouring empowered the Church, unlocking immeasurable spiritual unction to preach, pray, prophesy, and minister.
In this case the fire fell. Revival is not about getting “fired up” as much as it is getting under the “fire fall.” In the natural, fire goes up. In the supernatural, fire comes down. Elijah called down fire from heaven on the sacrifice. Fire came down on Mt. Sinai. Fire came down on the day of Pentecost. Jesus told his disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. As they waited, divided tongues as of fire sat on each of them. The fire fell in Jerusalem because that is where He told them to go. Fire falls where God tells you to go. Fire falls on what He tells you to do. Fire falls on obedience.
The fire of revival is the revelation of the Lord Himself. In revival moves, God comes down in the midst of the people in full manifestation. Strange and unusual manifestations take place and what was once difficult suddenly becomes easy in the presence of the Creator. The Lord is clothed in fire. It is impossible to enter into the manifest presence of God without experiencing the fire of God. The fire is in the Holy Place. Outer-court Christians (those who have been converted but live in the flesh) will not be able to experience the fullness of the fire of God. That fire burns in the Holy Place. It is revealed to those who have laid down their lives and moved beyond the flesh realm into the realm of the Spirit.
Romans 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Paul’s admonition to the church at Rome was to lay their very lives on the altar and become a living sacrifice. The altar is the place of fire and the place of death. There is a level of Christianity that much of the modern-day Church does not know. It is that place where you have surrendered your entire existence to God. As the believer approaches the fire of God, it means certain death to the life of the flesh but a deep release of the life of the Spirit.
Mark 8:34
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Revival fire is calling the Church back to the altar, back to the place of holy living, and back to radical obedience.
Romans 8:13-14
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
The Christian who is living their life surrendered to the fire and dying to the flesh is sensitive to the voice of the Spirit. When you have been purged in the fire you are quick to obey God.
Dream: I had a dream over 15 years ago. It was during a time in my life where God was burning out all the dross in me. In the dream, I walked into a big hall or conference room and there were many people attending. I walked up to the front of the room and began speaking out things that God was doing in people. With passion I would shout out “Someone has this in their life and God wants to heal you!” I would point to people and tell them what God was saying to them. From the back of the room a man stood up and said, “She’s been through the fire and that is why she can be used like this!!!” 🔥
I had been through the Holy Fire of God in my life and it was hot. I needed it desperately and I didn’t even know it. After the intense purifying that God took me through with changing the way I thought and acted and spoke, I was ready for God to mold and make me into what He wanted me to be. To this day I am forever changed by that time in my life. (You can read more about this in my book, “The Garbage Man Always Comes On Fridays.”)
What does Revival Fire do?
- Fire illuminates
Fire illuminates, but no fire illuminates like “the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire.” When one is baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire, truth that once was dark to them becomes instantly as bright as day; passages in the Bible that they could not understand before become as simple as ABC; and every page of God’s Holy Word glows with heavenly light. This kind of baptism will do more for taking the infidelity and skepticism and false doctrine out of a person than any university education.
2. Fire Makes Warm, It Makes Us Glow
You and I are cold—oh, how cold we are! And the Lord Jesus takes us and He plunges us into the fire of the Holy Spirit. We begin to grow warm, and soon we glow, glow with love for God, glow with love for Christ, glow with love for the truth, glow with love for those who are perishing. The greatest need of the day is men and women on fire.
3. Fire Impacts Energy
Science tells us that every form of energy can be transmuted into fire. When a baptism with fire comes, then comes power. That is what was manifested at Pentecost. The fire of God fell, and with the energy of that fire they went out from the Upper Room and three thousand people were converted.
4. Fire Spreads
Nothing spreads like fire. Once there is a heat source to cause ignition and a sufficient amount of fuel and oxygen present the fire will continue to burn. As the fire burns, large amounts of heat are produced. … This transfer of heat causes the fire to grow and to spread to other areas.
Our heat source is the Fire of God and God breathes on us we are ignited and burn for him. As we burn we produce large amounts of heat or passion. This causes the fire to grow and spread to others. People are affected by your passion and fire for God.
5. Fire Reveals
1 Corinthians 3:13
Each man’s work shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
The time I prayed to God to baptize me in His Holy Spirit, the first thing that came to pass was that I had such a revelation of myself as I had never had before. A revelation of yourself as God sees you!
6. Fire Refines
Malachi 3:1 – 3 NKJV
“Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.“But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.
We have to be purified in God’s Holy Fire. This will make us righteous and be that pure offering to God.
These verses speaks of the purifying power of fire. Water will not cleanse as fire does. What we need is the fire of the Holy Spirit penetrating into the innermost depths of our being, burning, burning, burning, cleansing.
7. Fire Consumes
Ezekiel 24:11 – 13 illustrates the consuming power of fire, fire of judgment that will consume the filth of Jerusalem. And the baptism of fire consumes, in fact cleanses by consuming; it burns up all dross, all vanity, all self-righteousness, all personal ambition, all ungovernable temper.
Revival fire is calling the Church back to the altar, back to the place of holy living, and back to radical obedience.
Revival is beckoning. The flames are calling out to a generation to rise higher and go deeper. Revival is being sent to unlock hidden purpose and undying passion.
Acts 28:3
And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
The fire of God draws out vipers! When God’s fire is turned up in a church, devils will be exposed. The Church must just remain in a spirit of prayer and not be moved by the enemy. Devils will try to attack you when you press into the fire. The purpose of the attack is to get you out of the fire of God. The devil is ruthless. He will use anybody including your family, friends, or fellow church members. This is why you must be prayed up every day and walking according to the marching orders that the Holy Spirit has given you. There is no time to be distracted, not even for a moment.
When you press into the fire of God, attacks and persecution will come but you must shake it off. God has supernaturally empowered you to rise up and win. That viper should have killed Paul but Paul was not a normal man. He was a child of God Almighty. He shook that devil off and moved on unharmed.
Ephesians 4:27
Neither give place to the devil.
We must close every door to the devil so we can keep going forth into the fire. God will quicken in our spirit those things or people we need to stay away from. Be quick to obey Him and don’t give the devil an inch.
The Early Church was on fire and they turned their world upside down. The Church in this hour is going to turn this world upside down with the power and fire of God. The army of the Lord is going to go forth and claim nations and generations for God.
This is an hour of radical revival fire. As your heart becomes consumed, you will step out in faith and refuse to be silent anymore. Those touched by the fire of God do not care what the world says! The world did not understand the ministry of Jesus. While many received Him, many others became violently offended by Him. The world mocked the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts chapter two. They could not understand the things of the Spirit because they were locked in a prison of the flesh. The world will not understand the revival fire that burns in the hearts of God’s people but we must be delivered from their opinions.
There are those who are broken, hurting, and living in darkness, waiting for a messenger burning with the fire of God to come. You are a part of the army that will go. The fire of revival ultimately prepares the believer to fulfill their assignment. Once you have passed through the fire of God, you are cleansed, filled with fresh passion, and ready to impact the world.
Revival spreads much like a natural fire. It is passed from person to person, church to church, and ministry to ministry. All it takes is a spark to ignite a raging revival inferno that will shake a city.
Revival shifts people into their assignments and destiny. When revival hits a church, that church receives instruction in the midst of fire to impact their city. Not only do instructions come in the midst of fire but also the power of God comes to carry out the instruction.
Fire sends you into the mission field. Souls are the prize of revival. God ignites the believers, calls them back to their first love, and then sends them into the lost and broken world with His holy fire.
Holy Fire
By Kris Belfils
Holy Fire ignite my spirit
Come and burn your love in me
Precious Savior, glorious Lord
Come and move your hand on me
I have been cold and wet far too long
I miss the time I spend with You
Guard my heart and keep me strong
Holy Fire, Precious Savior
Come and burn your love anew
You can listen to this song by Kris Belfils by clicking onto the title above or clicking on the picture below.
Seasons of Change by Kris Belfils
Song: Holy Fire
Some of the material in this article are taken from the following:
-The Revival Study Bible, Copyright 2010 by Armour Publishing Pte Ltd
-Fire of Revival: The Believers Guide to Personal Transformation and Global Revival, by Ryan Lestrange
Persecuted But Not Abandoned!
This is the last message on the Beatitudes series I have been preaching these past few Sundays at Hope Fellowship in Spokane, WA. I pray it ministers to you!
Matthew 5:1 – 12 NIV
Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said: Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:10 – 12 NIV
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Now, more then ever, Christians are hated and persecuted. We should think it not strange, but rejoice because the coming of our Lord Jesus is soon. These signs are in the New Testament and they foretell of what is to come. The Apostle Paul knew first hand what persecution was like.
2 Timothy 3:10 – 12 NIV
You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
Living a godly life is a blessed life, and it is also a persecuted life. If you haven’t had much persecution in your life, maybe it is because people don’t know you are a Christian and you haven’t stood on your beliefs in front of them. If you are persecuted, you are on the right track. If you are persecuted by religious people, you are definitely on the right track.
Jesus was persecuted often by the religious people of His day. Judaism was perverted and the Sadducees and Pharisees created something that would benefit them and not the people. Jesus’ message was opposite of this. His message was of love and connection with God. It was not something new to Jesus though. He knew what His mission was when He came to earth in spite of any persecution, He fulfilled his mission.
Persecution is when someone comes under physical and verbal attack for what they believe and for how they live their life. It is as if they were found guilty in court for no cause.
He knew the world would hate him, but it was irrelevant because Jesus knew their ignorance. Jesus even told his Disciples the world would hate them because of Him.
John 15:18 – 25
The World Hates the Disciples
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’”
Persecution is something that happens to you for no reason other than you are a Christ follower.
In that same breath, Jesus started talking about an Advocate who He will send from the Father – the Spirit of truth – who will testify of Him. This Advocate would be the Disciples as well.
John 15:26 – 16:1 – 15 NIV
The Work of the Holy Spirit
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
Why do I bring up all these verses? I hope I am painting a beautiful picture that we are not alone in life, and most importantly, in persecution. We will suffer persecution, the Bible is clear about that, but we don’t have to suffer alone.
John 16:33 NIV
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
The amazing news is that we as Christians already know the ending of the story. Jesus has overcome the world and we will spend eternity with Him! I believe Jesus also shared verse 33 to reassure us that even today, Jesus has overcome the world! With the Advocate, Holy Spirit, living in us, we have more power, more in site, and more help then the Disciples did during their time with Christ. They didn’t know what Jesus was thinking, but we, as Spirit-Filled believers, can tap into what Holy Spirit is saying (He hears only what Jesus tells Him) and be reassured of our life in this world and the world to come.
That is powerful to think about! Today, we have been given gifts from Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12) to encourage each other in the middle of any persecution. As such, we have enough “stuff” we go through during a given day of our life, we should be encouraging one another with our spiritual gifts daily!
I believe the more we are persecuted, the more our spiritual gifts should be manifested! We need help from above everyday! We can not make it on our own. That is why Jesus sent us the Advocate!
The word Advocate means: “a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy, a person who pleads on someone else’s behalf. (Dictionary)
In the Old Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary, the word Advocate means:
1. Advocate, in its primary sense, signifies, one who pleads the cause of another in a court of civil law.
2. One who pleads the cause of another before any tribunal or judicial court, as a barrister in the English courts.
In Europe, advocates have different titles, according to their particular duties:
Consistorial advocates, in Rome, appear before the Consistory, in opposition to the disposal of benefices.
Elective advocates are chosen by a bishop, abbot, or chapter, with license from the prince.
Feudal advocates were of a military kind, and to attach them to the church, had grants of land, with power to lead the vassals of the church war.
Fiscal advocates, in ancient Rome, defended causes in which the public revenue was concerned.
Juridical advocates became judges, in consequence of their attending causes in the earl’s court.
Matricular advocates defended the cathedral churches.
Military advocates were employed by the church to defend it by arms, when force gave law to Europe.
Some advocates were called nominative, from their being nominated by the pope or king; some regular, from their being qualified by a proper course of study. Some were supreme; others, subordinate.
Lord advocate, in Scotland, the principal crown lawyer, or prosecutor of crimes.
Judge advocate, in courts martial, a person who manages the prosecution.
In English and American courts, advocates are the same as counsel, or counselors. In England,they are of two degrees, barristers and serjeants; the former, being apprentices or learners, cannot, by ancient custom, be admitted serjeants, till of sixteen years standing.
3. One who defends, vindicates, or espouses a cause, by argument; one who is friendly to; as, an advocate for peace, or for the oppressed.
Wow, so many titles for Advocate in Europe and the United States. Now, why do I bring all of them up? This is the exciting part… because Holy Spirit, our Advocate, is all that and more! He is there supporting and standing up for us in the middle of any “persecution court.”
Now, all that said, this is what I see: I see a church filled with Holy Spirit prophesying over each other, lifting, building, and encouraging each other up! I see each of us stirring up the gifts within us and using them daily. I see a church that is strong in any storm all because we come together and lift each other up prophetically, emotionally, and spiritually! We need each other! Let’s find the treasure in each of us and not the dirt! The gifts of the spirit are for Building people up, Comforting them, and drawing them near to God. It is for edification or to edify the church! Isn’t that AWESOME??? We are not to wallow in our persecution, but to find joy in it because we are Christ’s followers who have an Advocate defending and supporting us everywhere we go.
Yes, we may experience persecution, but we know Christ has overcome the world, and that means we are OVERCOMERS!
Persecution is not the only time to encourage one another in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, but it sure is a powerful way to look past the suffering and receive from Him help in this area.
Your sister in Christ,
Pastor Kris Belfils
http://www.KrisBelfils.com
http://www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com
http://www.KrisBelfils.Wordpress.com
The Holy Spirit – In The Life Of Christ
Last message we looked at the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, and how Jesus had to leave for the Promise of the Holy Spirit to come. We learned that the Holy Spirit “came on” or “filled” individuals in the Old Testament, but it was temporary until the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts.
The ministry of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament is prominent right from the beginning. The activity of the Holy Spirt is evident at every phase of the life and ministry of Jesus.
The Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Life
1. Conceives.
In Matthew, after the genealogy list, the Holy Spirit was right there at the conception of Christ in Mary’s womb.
Matthew 1:18 NKJV
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
A clearer understanding of “she was found with child of the Holy Spirit” is found a little further in Scripture.
Matthew 1:20 NKJV
But while he (Joseph) thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”
Conceived means form, and another word for conceived is begotten. Begotten means to procreate or generate, to father, to produce (dictionary.com). The Holy Spirit literally was the producer and formed Jesus in Mary’s womb.
What a correlation between Genesis 1:2, and the Spirit hovering over the face of the waters and the conception of Jesus: Both incidences the Holy Spirit was present and very active.
Of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit really shows He is the “executive arm” (Notes on Genesis 1:2 in the New Spirit Filled Life Bible). He brings action. That is just awesome and amazing! He is active always.
2. Baptises.
The Holy Spirit descended and came to rest upon Jesus before His public ministry.
Matthew 3:16 NKJV
When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
The word baptized in the original Greek means; “To cover wholly with a fluid” (Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Definitions).
When Jesus was baptized the Holy Spirit was present, in fact so present that He came upon Jesus.
In the Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Definitions the word, “lighting” upon Jesus literally means: “To come enter” (G2064).
Before Jesus began His public ministry, He was filled with the Spirit of God.
3. Leads.
Matthew 4:1 NKJV
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit
Luke 4:1 NKJV
Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,”Mark 1:12 states, “Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.”
The word drove doesn’t imply reluctance on Jesus’ part, rather it was the conviction or urge that Jesus had over how necessary He needed to go. Jesus had to go through the temptations of the devil and defeating them before He stepped out and helped others defeat the enemy in their lives.
How often do we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and we find ourselves right in the middle of a struggle or temptation? We can see this in Jesus’ life when the Spirit led Him into the wilderness after His baptism. For sure we will experience the same thing. The question is how do you respond when you are in the middle of it? In Jesus’ case He combated the enemy with scripture. This is powerful. The Word of God is powerful!
Jesus was full of the Spirit and overcame the enemy! Listening to the Holy Spirit and following His leading will bring VICTORY. You might say, “Pastor Kris, it’s too hard!” “I don’t like what I am going through!” Well neither do I at times, but that is not the time to give up. That is the time to press into the Holy Spirit and He will give you what you need to overcome. Without a hardship you will never experience a victory!
4. Empowers.
Following Jesus’ victory over temptation, Jesus returns to Galilee in the power of the same Spirit.
Luke 4:14 NKJV
Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.
The Holy Spirit enabled Jesus to fulfill His ministry. He was now the Spirit-anointed Messiah. Jesus travels to the synagogues and when he comes to the synagogue in Nazareth He was handed the book of Isaiah and reads:
Luke 4:18 – 19 NKJV
The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. (see also Isaiah 61:1 – 2)
Being anointed by the Holy Spirit breaks the yoke of bondage. I have experienced first hand the anointing of God when I speak and I sense the Holy Spirit speaking through me. The words He brings cuts through the flesh right to the spirit of the listener.
I have also experienced when I have walked in my own strength. Walking in the Spirit, and His anointing makes ministry easy. Walking in my own abilities and power makes for one rough service.
The Holy Spirit is just that; Holy. Holy means: sacred, pure, blameless, consecrated, separated, properly revered, worthy of veneration, Godlikeness, God’s innermost nature, set apart for God, reserved for God and His service. Since nothing that is polluted could be holy, purity becomes a big part of holiness. A holy God calls for a holy people (Holy, hagios (hag-ee-oss) Strong’s #40).
We have to understand that the Holy Spirit abides in us. We are the temple of the Holy Ghost.
1 Cor. 6:19 – 20 Amplified Bible
Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.
Keep your temple clean and honor the Holy Spirit in all you do and say. You will have such an anointing on your life that will break bondages, empower you for Gods work, and bring favor in your life. Don’t abuse or take for granted what Jesus did on the cross for you.
Anything that Jesus did was lead and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
5. Joy.
The Holy Spirit spreads joy, both to Jesus, the disciples, and the new community.
Luke 10:17 NKJV
Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your hame.”Luke 10:21 NKJV
In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.
The Spirit was moving in Jesus and the disciples and He gave them joy for the ministry. They rejoiced often seeing the work of the Lord being accomplished.
Luke 24:49 – 53 NKJV
Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen
All this said, as we looked at many scriptures last week from the book of John, he speaks of the Holy Spirit as “Comforter” or “Helper.”
John 14:16 Amplified Bible
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—John 14:26 Amplified Bible
But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.
We need to understand that the Holy Spirit is our comforter, literally “one called alongside.” He is “another Helper,” namely, one of the same kind as Jesus, and thereby extending the ministry of Jesus to the end of this age.
The Holy Spirit is not necessarily for only predicaments we get ourselves into, but much more because He is there in every facet of life to help and comfort, and strengthen and guides us.
The Father sent the Holy Spirit after Jesus left the earth. The Holy Spirit never draws attention to Himself, nor does He speak in His own authority. Instead, His mission is to glorify Jesus and to declare Christ’s teachings.
John 16:13 – 15 NKJV
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
The Holy Spirit is with us today! He is available for all to receive as the Promised Gift that Jesus talked about when He left this earth. Are you hungry to receive the Holy Spirit’s infilling? We will look at that next!
Your sister in Christ,
Pastor Kris Belfils
http://www.KrisBelfils.com
http://www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com
http://www.KrisBelfils.WordPress.com
God Working Within To Sustain Without (A Fresh Look At The Holy Spirit)
Have you had trouble lately maintaining your day to day Christian life? Has the worries and cares of this world weighed you down to the point you can’t see where to go or what to do? Maybe you find your self weak in areas of your life and wish those weaknesses would go away.
Whatever the situation, God wants to strengthen you and touch your inward parts to help you not only maintain your daily life, but to live above the circumstances you find yourself in.
Paul was in prison when he wrote a good portion of the New Testament. He was more concerned with the church and their condition then his own surroundings. He wanted to encourage them and pray for them.
Paul had to find something to help him maintain his daily life while he was in prison. He found it, and conveyed that truth in his writings.
Eph 3:16 – 21 (HCSB)
“I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, be strengthened with power the inner man through His Spirit in, and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think–according to the power that works in you– to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
1. “[I pray] that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit, ” (Eph 3:16)
“Strengthened with power through His Spirit…”
Have we let the Holy Spirit have His way in us completely? I believe it is a process of learning and growing with Him that brings us to a place of totally allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way in us.
The Holy Spirit is our Comforter. He is our friend, and our Counselor. The Holy Spirit can do more in us (if we let Him) then a Counselor can here on earth.
The Holy Spirit knows every aspect of our past, present and future. He knows us intimately. He knows our personality, character, and what we think even before we think it.
Amplified Bible
“May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty powerin the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. (Eph. 3:16)
What does it mean to have the Holy Spirit indwell your innermost being? What does it mean to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the Holy Spirit?
It means to not allow our flesh to be in control. It is a realization that we are crucified with Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us! (Gal. 2:20)
We have to come to a place where we want to please God more then our flesh! We can’t be filled with the Holy Spirit if we are full of our self. We have to decrease. We have to die to flesh. It is submitting to the Holy Spirit’s voice even when we want to do the opposite.
ACTS 2 (Pentecost)
The second chapter of Acts shows the infilling power at work in the Disciples and those present in the upper room. It was promised in Acts 1:4 – 8.
Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
They stayed in prayer, and were united and obedient, waiting together for this promise of the Holy Spirit. They had never experienced what they were about to experience before. All they knew was to wait for “the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4).
Acts 2:1 – 4 (NKJV)
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. They were consumed and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit wants to consume us daily. Do you spend time in the presence of the Lord daily?
Allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way in our hearts is part of letting the Holy Spirit indwell our innermost being, our “inner man.” This brings strength to maintain our daily life.
“…strengthened and reinforced with mighty powerin the inner man…” (Eph. 3:16) (Amplified Bible)
The Inner Man – Inner = eso ¯ in the Greek which means inside, or within. Inner man is also known as inward parts:
Inward parts – qereb – (BDB Hebrew and Greek Lexicon)
As seat of thought and emotion
As faculty of thought and emotion
Within self – heart, more than heart, it becomes your entire being.
Here are a few verses which speak of “inward parts:”
Psalm 139:13 “For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
Job 38:36 ” Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
Psalm 51:6 “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
Proverbs 20:27 “The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
Jeremiah 31:33 “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Hearts in Jeremiah 31:33 is translated from the Hebrew as; “leb” or “lebeb” – mind, will, understanding, midst (of things), thinking, memory, determination, conscience; as seat of appetites, as seat of emotions, as seat of courage!
Inward parts and heart do go hand in hand in the Bible, but more than the heart, it becomes a part of your entire being.
In other words, getting back to the original scripture;strengthened and reinforced with mighty powerin the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. (Amplified Bible)
God wants to strengthen us with His Holy Spirit, to totally indwell our inward parts, our inner being, mind, will, understanding, appetites, emotions, and everything we are, with His Holy Spirit. This will help us to maintain our daily life and help us to follow after Christ. It will help us to not be tossed and turned with every little breeze that comes our way that is contrary to what we think should happen.
Strength from the Spirit of God in the inner man; strength in the soul; the strength of faith to serve God, and to do our duty.
Where Christ’s spirit dwells, He dwells.
2. “I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love…” (Eph. 3:16b)
Love should be our motivating force behind all that we do.
There was a song out in the eighty’s by Lori and Harry Browning called, “Lord, Teach us to love You.” It was a prayer asking God to teach us to love Him with the Love He has given us. Then it turned the love towards others and asked God to teach us to love others with the love He has given us.
John 13:34 – 35 (Message)
“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples – when you see the love you have for each other.”
This way of looking at love and reaching out to others will help us to love each other unconditionally. Our motto should be: “Loving like Jesus loves me!”
Also, with this love, we can look at Christ’s love and how intense it is for us.
3. “…may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:18 – 19)
The Message Bible reads…
“I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit–not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength— that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love.“
There are so many dimensions to Christ’s love towards us. We have not even touched the surface of how much He loves us.
Our knowledge can’t comprehend His love for us.
What extent are His dimensions?
“…what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
The breadth (wide) shows its extent to all nations and ranks;
The length (long) continues from everlasting to everlasting;
The depth, (deep) its saving those who are sunk into the depths of sin and misery;
The height, (high) its raising them up to heavenly happiness and glory.
God will go to great lengths to rescue us. He will reach down into the farthest depths to show us how much He loves us and for us to experience that love as we sense His presence.
He will reach down to our inner man, our inward parts, where we live and have our being, and will give us revelations of who He is and how much love He has for us.
Have you ever felt God’s love?
The Message reads…
Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
That love is there for us to live full lives.
You can live without things.
You can live without position or recognition,
You can live without a lot of things, but for one to truly live, we can’t live without love. We will die prematurely without someone to love and someone to love us.
It is true that people who are ill will recover faster when their loved ones are close by; talking to them and encouraging them to live.
How much more we can live with the knowledge of God’s love for us.
God wants us to experience His love to know the fullness of who He is.
Fullness, not lack.
The Amplified Bible reads…
“…that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!” (Eph. 3:19b)
…all the fullness of God!
It is hard to comprehend the love of God towards us. Why would He love us after what we’ve done? Why would He lavish His love on us when we deserve judgment?
It is hard to comprehend His mercy and grace.
Mercy: Not getting what we deserve
Grace: Getting what we don’t deserve
This is what Christ did on the cross for all of us. Love was crucified. This love is there for the taking. Do you believe it? Do you want it? It is already there for you.
He is the lover of our soul.
4. “Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think–according to the power that works in you– to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3:20)
What ever we can think of asking, God can do more.
The Message reads…
“God can do anything, you know–far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.”
God is more than enough for our every need. God can and will do more than we could ever ask, think, guess, imagine, request in our wildest dreams. He is just waiting for us to recognize what He is doing.
Think for a moment what God has done for you this past year that has been beyond what you’ve ever dreamed possible.
This year ask God what He would have you do.
Think BIG!
What you think of right now, He can do more and will as you trust Him and allow His Holy Spirit to flood your inner man, your emotions, your will, your appetites.
Resolve to soak in His presence and love more. Expect BIG things to happen in your life. He is a BIG God and has BIG things in store for each of us as we trust Him to give us strength from day to day.
Blessings,
Pastor Kris Belfils
Pastor Kris Belfils 